Imagine rounding up a six person sales team each day and sending them door to door. That seems like a slow way to reach customers and not very cost effectively, right? But, what if that sales team was able to reach hundreds of homes each day without losing steam? Now that seems like a worthwhile investment. Sending a direct mailer does just that. One envelope packed with the right pieces can be just as effective as the sales team at or from your dealership. Each component of the mailer lines up with a part of the sales process: from the opening lines of the envelope aimed to strike a want in the customer, to the endorsement of a fellow customer in the lift letter, to the call to action in the business reply envelope. The purpose and voice of each different piece comes together to form a full sales pitch. Malcolm Decker, in the book “Million Dollar Mailings” breaks down the various components of a direct mailing piece that, when they work together, can only lead to success.
Never be in doubt again, send the whole sales team to each house! Rely on a complete sales team to sell the car by sending direct mailers. Each component of the mailer lines up with a part of the sales process. The purpose and voice of all the different pieces come together to form a full sales pitch. Malcolm Decker, in the book “Million Dollar Mailings” breaks down the various components of a direct mailing piece that, when they work together, can only lead to success.
Envelope
This is the sales person coming to the door, the first line. It works to create an opportunity for the rest of the sales team to do their job. An envelope’s job is to get opened, entice the reader to open it.
Letter
Now that the door is open, these are the first words the consumer encounters. This is the salesperson speaking directly to the customer. This conversation between “you” the reader and “I” the salesperson. The focus is on you and the benefits you’ll receive from buying this new car! There is not a length that will magically sway the reader: get the information across that you need to without being too wordy. Talk about the sale’s deals without trying too hard.
Brochure
Also called "The Demonstrator;” the brochure and/or any added literature provides an opportunity to show with pictures and images what the letter said. It reinforces that the words in the letter are, in fact, true and possible. Images with the red tag prices, warranties, etc.
Lift Letter
The Lift Letter vouches for everything the main “salesperson,” AKA the first letter, said. This should be from a happy customer or some sort of third party. This will encourage a skeptical consumer to take action. If one customer is willing to let another know he/she was very pleased with the car and overall buying process, it will urge another customer believe it is true. It goes beyond your dealership claiming to be worthwhile when a customer also believes it’s true.
Order Card
According to Decker, the order card is “the net that secures the trout.” Condense the basic offer that was made in a clear and concise way. This should be in the reader’s voice. “Yes, I want more information on your cars and deals.” “Yes, I want to schedule a visit to look at your inventory.”
Business Reply Envelope
Bring the order back home. The reader has reacted in some way and wants to get that message back to you. They want to sign up for future mailings.
Put Your Direct Mail Campaign To Work
When you aren’t able to get to everyone’s house, send the full sales team via a well-thought-out direct mail campaign. Do you have any other pieces of advice about how your dealership utilizes direct mail? We'd love to hear about them in the discussion below!
